Mitten in der fröhlichen Familienfeier wird Dr. Chilton zu einem Patienten gerufen. Er glaubt jedoch, dass es nicht lange dauern wird und er bald wieder zurück ist. Unglücklicherweise zieht ein schweres Unwetter auf und es regnet in Strömen. Währenddessen machen sich Tante Polly und ihre Gäste Sorgen, wo Dr. Chilton bleibt. Und die Sorgen sind berechtigt: Dr. Chiltons Kutsche hatte auf der Rückfahrt einen Unfall. Als das Pferd wegen eines Blitzes scheute, stürzte Dr. Chilton einen steilen Abhang herunter und blieb regungslos liegen...
Pollyanna and Jimmy singing their hearts out prior to entreating that the grown-ups belt out a tune starkly contrasts the reality of the inopportune and ill-timed phone call Nancy detects from Mr. Willis having an issue with his medication; since the deviant diagnostic cannot be appraised and resolved over the phone, Thomas has to set out on a solo journey that Polly subconsciously quakes could be her final engagement with her husband when she sees the tempest gathering its strength overhead. Tom has a choked-up sentimental upon seeing the beautiful scene of Harrington-ke being the big happy family it once was and debates whether to retire when Timothy objects that protecting Harrington-ke is a journey to be enjoyed especially because of Thomas and Polly's matrimonial reconciliation before leading him back inside after Polly; some clumsy rehearsals later, the topic of Thomas's safety extinguishes the festive mood at Harrington-ke as everybody engages in speculative analytical concourse over whether Thomas has safely arrived at Willis-ke or whether something happened to him en route. The truth of the matter is that Thomas finds it no trouble at all to resolve the deviant diagnostic with Mr. Willis but ultimately makes the unwise choice to reject the offered compensatory hospitality and the reality that the storm will definitely get much worse before it gets better in his haste to return back home -- especially in mountainous areas; galvanized by the data of his departure from Willis-ke, Tom and Timothy set out in search of Thomas whose own horse has panicked him down into a ravine!!!
